Condenser



H. E. BYER- April 20 1926.

CONDENSER Filed July 2 1924 In'uentok.

Jlttorneys.

Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT- orrlcs."

HENRY E. BYER, OF SAUSALITO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR '10 CHICAGO PNEUMATIC TOOL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

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Application filed July 28, 1924. Serial'No. 728,617.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. BYER, citizen -of the United States, residing at Sausalito, county of Marin, and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Condensers, of which the following is a specification. a

This invention "relates to condensers of the counter-current type for steam and other vapor-laden gases.

It is well known in the art that countercurrent condensers are subject to a condition knownas getting hot or boiling over, underwhich large quantities of hot water and steam pass over into the air suction plpe at the top of the condenser, as described in Weiss Patent No. 496,761. 'Dueto this de-S fecit is common practice to employ a water separator provided with a barometric leg to prevent flooding of the air pump. a

This defect is due to the fact that in condensersas heretofore constructed the means provided for bringing the condensing water in contact with the steam or vapor, and cool ing the air and gases passing upwardly to the air suction pipe, result in too short a vertical water fall.

sufficient weight of cooling water in immediate contact with steam in the steam space to resist the sudden upward rush of the steam and expanded air develo ed under such boiling conditions. I have ound that by presenting a vertical film or sheet of water to the entering steam or vapor with sufficient unbroken fall, this defect of boiling over is eflectuallfy overcome. due to the increased weight 0 steam or vapor. The problem,

however, is

to provide such a sheet of water in an un-" broken wall without unduly increasing the thickness of the sheet orexceedin cial limitations as to the size of denser.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a condenser of the counter-current type which will remedy affording a maximum of surface area for contact with the steam, and so contain sufficient weight to resist the pressure of the steam under all conditions, and at the same time keep thefdiameter condenser within the limits of the commercial requirements.

This object I accomplish by so constructing the condenser that two sheets or Therefore, there ,is not water meeting the- 0011111161- the conthis defect by and length of the d curtains of water of a proximately equal weight and area will fal vertically through the steam space for a considerable length. One of these sheets, which may be termed the front curtain, preferably extends diametrically-10f the steam chamber and at right angles to the steam inlet. This front curtain is divided so as to leave an opening at its'middle portion to permit part of the steam. to pass directly through. The second sheet which may be termed the back ourtain, preferably is in the form of a semicircle at the back of the front sheet, and extends from one leg to the other of the front sheet, so as to form a pocket enveloping the opening in said front sheet. Thereby the steam passes through said opening and comes in contact with the back curtain of the water,

where it is'acted upon. The air and other gases of a non-condensible nature will rise through the sheets of water and be taken off in the usual manner at the top of the condenser.

The solid spill or cascade placed above the steam space, and over which the entering cooling water must flow, has a definite relationship to the thickness of the vertical sheet or film of water meeting the steam below. The latter must never exceed in thickness that of the water flowing over the cascade above, and preferably should be much thinner. By employing two sheets or films of water, in accordance with the pres ent invention,-.I am enabled to obtain the desired thinness of the sheets, without undul increasing the size ofthe condenser.

ne form which my invention may assume JS exemplified in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- -Fiig. 1 shows a vertical central sectional view of my improved condenser;

Fig. 2 shows a plan view in section, taken on the line 2- 2 of Fi 1;'

Fig. 3 shows a vertical central sectional g iew taken at right. angles to the section of ig. 1; V

Fig. 4 shows-a sectional view, taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Referring in detail to the accompanying rawing, the condenser com rises a casing or shell 10, preferably cylin' rical, and having a water inlet 11 at one side, near the top thereof, and a steam inlet 12 at one side, and

' phragm 13 is arranged in the tbp of the casingor shell, and a hot water discharge opening is arranged at the bottom thereof.

Within the casing, and adjacent the water inlet, is a weir 15, forming a reservoir 16 for the incoming water. Beneath the weir and above the steam inlet is 'a diaphragm I7 on the edge ofthe dia hragm on the strai ht side and at the mid e thereof, and divi es the sheet of water falling from the .dia-- phragm into two portions se arated by a central o on space substantially the' w-idth of the we In the operation of this condenser th cold water overflows the rim of the'weir, fa ling upon the bafiie as indicated by the lineskmd arrows in 1 and 3. Here it spreads evenly over t e bafiie, one-half falling onto the diaphragm and the other-half'falling directly down through the steam space in the form of a semicircular curtain, which may be termed the back curtain, as indicated at a in Fig. 4. The portion of the water on the diaphragm overflows the fallin straig t side thereof in two parts, one at either side of the web 19, as indicated at b in Figs. 3 and 4, and may be termed the front curtain Steam entersthe casing below the diaphragm, and a portion of such steam will come in contactwith the two sheets or curtains b, and the remainingportion of the steam will pass through the opening in the front curtain and into the pocket 'ing. p g

to the increased area of the condens at the back thereof, formed by the curtain (a. The opening between the two parts of the curtain b should of course he of less width than the diameter of thefhafiie, so

that the hack curtain of water will overlap each part of the front curtain, affording an increased surface area. of water to he met by the steam, after it passes through saidopen- 7 Due ing sheets, and their length of fall, it becomes possible to provide an extremely small and compact condenser having the maximum of condensing ca acity. It will be seen that the full quantity of steam enter; ing the condenser meets a vertical sheet of water of considerable len h, whose crosssectional form is that 0 a straight line "said baflie and diap having) a central gap and a semicircular fheet ack of the gap and spanning the atter.

While I have shownand described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changes in the form and arrangement of the several parts may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention as disclosed .in. the appended claims. j

What I claim as newand desire to secure 5y Letters Patent is:

1. In a condenser of the counter-current type, means for forming a divided" sheet of water; across the casing of the condenser, in front of the'steam or vapor inlet, and means for forming a second sheet of water back of the first sheet and spanning the space between said divided sheets.

2. In a. condenser'of the counter-current type, means to form an interrupted sheet of I water across the condenser casing in front of the steamer vapor inlet, and means to form a. second sheet of water back-of the first sheet and spanning the interruptions. in the first'sheet.

3. In a condenser of the counter-current type, means to form a straight sheet of water extending centrallyacross the condenser cas ing in front of the steam or vapor inlet, and open near its middle portion, andmeans to form'a concave sheet of water back of the first sheet. a

4. In a condenser of'thecounter-current type, a'casing having an opening for steam cape of air, and an opening tween for admission of water, means fordirecting water through the casin to form a vertical sheet across the 'casinga jacent the steam-inlet, and having an opening therein near its middle portion, and means to form a second first. sheet and, spanning the opening in said ror vapor, an opening" near its to for the essheet back of the first sheet, spanning said opening, said sheets completely segre ating the portion of the casing adjacent t e air outlet from that adjacent the steam inlet, whereby the steam will be brought into contact with said sheets of water, and air and other incondensible gases will be compelled to coo ed on their way to the air inlet;

5. Inc condenser of the counter-current type, a casing having an opening for steam or va r, preferably at the side, an opening near-its top for the escape of air, and an openin between for admission of water, a diap ragm extending horizontally across a portion of the casing, a bafie spaced'above the diaphragm and projecting partially over the. diaphragm and partially overhanging it, ragm acting to-form a vertical sheet of water extending across the casing adjacent the steam inlet,and having an opening near its middle portion, and a pass through the sheets of water and be;

second sheet of water back of the first sheet and spanning the opening in'said first sheet.

6. In a condenser of the counter-current type, a casing having an opening for steam orvapor, an opening near its "top for the escapev of air, and an opening between for directing water thereomwherebythe baflie .in .contactfwiththe sheets forme the sheet formed b acts to discharge a portion of the Water. onto the diaphragm and the remainder of the water directly downward through the easing, means on the diaphragm to direct water thereon downwardly through the casing in the form of a straight sheet havin an opening near its middle portion,.whic opening is spanned by the sheet of Water falling from the overhanging portion of the baflle, whereby the. incoming steamv is brought (partially by the diaphragm and paitially in contact with i the overhanging portion of-the baflle, t e air and other incondensible gases passing through the said fheets of water before reaching the air out- 7. A condenser of the counter-current type havin an annular weir adj'aceiit its top, a be e positioned substantially centrally of the condenser casing to form a sheet or curtain of water in front of the" steam inlet, ,'and a diaphragm extending part1 across said condenser casing beneath said aflle and above said steam inlet to intercept a portion of the water falling from said bafile and to form a second sheet or curtain of water before said steam inlet.

8. A condenser of the counter-current type having an annular weir adjacent its top, means dividing the water falling from said weir to form two sheets. or curtains in front of the steam inlet, said means including a diaphragm extending partly across said condenser casing above said steam inlet,

and a projection adjacent the edge of said diaphragm for producing a gap in one of said sheets.

' 9. A .condenser' of the counter-current ty'pe havin 'an annular weir adjacent its top, a ba epositioned substantially centrally of the condenser casing to form a sheet or curtain of water in front of the steam inlet, a diaphragm extending partly across said condenser casing beneath said heme and above said steam inlet to intercept a portion of the water falling from said baflie and to form a second sheet or curtain of Water before said steam inlet, and means on said diaphragm forming a. substantially centrally disposed gap .in said second sheet or curtain. I

' 10. A; condenser of the counter-current type having an annular weir adjacent its top, a baflle positioned substantially centrally of the condenser casing to form a sheet or curtain of water in front of the steam inlet, a diaphragm extending partly across said condenser casing beneath said bafiie and above said steam inlet to intercept a portion of the water falling from said bafile and to form a second sheet or curtain of water before said steam inlet, and meansinterconnecting said diaph'ra and said bafile and forming a gap in sai second sheet or curtain.

11. A condenser of the counter-current type -havin an annular weir adjacent its top, a ba e positioned substantially centrally of the condenser casing beneath said weir, a diaphragm extending partly across said condenser casing beneath said baflie and above the steam inlet, said bafile and said diaphragm together fo ming two curtains of vWater before said steam inlet, and a projection in the form of a Web rising from the edge of said diaphragm to serve as a support for said baffle and to provide a centrally disposed gap in the curtain falling from sair' diaphragm.

HENRY E. BYER. 

